


Academy Days

by Henry88



Category: Original Work
Genre: Academy, Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Mecha, Pilots, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 14:09:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17367317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Henry88/pseuds/Henry88





	1. Chapter 1

The next few days flew by fast until Friday came along. Since it was a snowy day, students were excused from school, but that didn't mean they were excused from waking up. With the new day came the warm sun rising over the city. The many rays of light of the glowing planet peered into dozens of windows to wake up people. David's window amongst other residents of the city was woken up by the gentle touch of the morning sun hovering over the city. With the gentle prods of the sunlight, after he struggled with the sheets, David woke up with a large yawn. Looking at his clock he saw he woke up earlier than usual at 6:45 A.M. He supposed that he slept early so that he could wake up early. But now, it was time to get up and enjoy the day. After taking a quick shower, David dressed up and headed downstairs. Before he even got to the bottom stairs, he saw Steven there, holding a green envelope in his hands.

"Look what came in the mail for you today," Steven said in a sing-song happy voice. And when David walked further down the stairs and when he saw who the envelope was from, he and gasped for breath. He could not believe what he was seeing.

"You mean...?" David trailed off in shock. Rather than answer, Steven held out the envelope to him with a big old smile.

"See for yourself." The man said.

David took the envelope, opened it up and whisked the letter out of its comfort in the envelope. He opens the letter with his hands trembling from anxiety of what the content read. He opens it and it read thus:

"Dear Mr. Blair,

We are proud to inform you are accepted into the Drift Mecha Academy on Tresser Time Island. A plane will pick you up the day after tomorrow, so prepare yourself for an adventure of a lifetime. We hope that our training will not only make you a good pilot but also give you a sense of belonging. Our facilities have the latest technology, so you will get to study on as well during your training.

Yours sincerely,

From the Mecha Academy Board"

Once he got to the end of the letter shock rippled throughout David's body. It wasn't a bad shock by any means. It was a shock of elation and relief. The elation that he was accepted and relief it wasn't a rejection paper. David was so overwhelmed by the rush of emotions that he fell backward into a chair with a stunned expression adorning his face.

"Here, have some tea," Steven said as he handed his adopted son a cup of the warm chocolate mixed with the pink lemonade he always likes, smiling at him.

"T-Thanks..." he said, stuttering as he smiled all through, gulping away its contents.

"So, you've been accepted," Steven said in affirmation.

"Y-Yes! I c-can't believe it! God, this almost feels like a dream." David said, pacing about.

"Well, it's not a dream, son. This is happening." Steven said with a smile.

"Oh God, dad, I could do cartwheels around the house!" David exclaimed.

"I'm sure you could... just don't do it while you're holding my favorite ceramic cup," Steven said with smiles as he took the teacup out of David's hands.

"Oh, hey. Sorry..." David said smiling, blushing pink.

The day seemed to go by so fast that, before David knew it, it was already night time and he was already eating dinner with Steven. After heading up to his room, David was still in a state of shock from the euphoria he felt from seeing the words, "you have been accepted…" as he bounced tired on his bed. Ten minutes later he got excited phone calls from John and Nozomi to tell him they had also been accepted. As the morning sun rose two days later, David's eyes opened with excitement.

"Today is the day." He thought to himself as he jumped out of bed and got ready.

"Hey Dave, better hurry!" Steven called up from below. "The bus should be here in the next half an hour."

"All right, I'll be right down." After packing a small duffle bag, David made his way down the stairs as fast as he could with Steven whistling at the door.

"Not bad. You've got twelve minutes to spare and your buddies are waiting outside." Steven said.

"John and Nozomi?" The raven head asked.

"Yep," Steven replied, then smiled as he patted David on the shoulder. "Good luck, son."

David smiled and nodded to dad, then stepped out the door to meet his two friends who were also ready to go.

"Good to see you made it." Said John, grinning wide.

"You should have set your clock a little earlier." Nozomi teased.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that. I guess the excitement took more out of me than I thought it would, and almost made me sleep in." David said.

"Well, it's a good thing you got up when you did because here comes our ride to a new future," John said and pointed down the road. David and Nozomi turned to look and saw the bus come around the corner. With a slow intake of breath followed by a long sigh, David put his duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Looks like our ride is here." He said with an anxious tone.

"All aboard!" Called the bus driver as the doors opened. The three youths stepped onto the bus, and from the front porch Steven called out to them.

"Keep safe now, you hear?" Shouted Steve from the house.

David turned and gave a reassuring nod and a slow wave to his father before he piled in along with his buddies. With that, the bus drove off. However, once he got a good look inside along with Nozomi and John, he realized something odd. The bus was empty; it was only the three of them. Why would a bus that can carry fifteen to thirty-five people be empty?

"Don't worry." The bus driver said as if reading David's mind when he caught his questioning look in the rear-view mirror. "The plane will have more people on it." David's head perked up at this.

"We're getting on a plane?" He asked, and the driver smirked.

"Didn't think I would drive across the sea, did ya?" He guffawed as if it were the funniest joke in the world. But John laughed, being the corny guy, he was, while Nozomi rolled her eyes. So, the group took their seats and about three hours later they got to the airport.

"Awesome, we made it!" John exclaimed in excitement. It wasn't so unusual, however, since this was the first time any of them have been in a big airport like this or any at all. And it showed both from John's words and the wide eyes of wonder from Nozomi and David.

"All right, everybody off and I will take you where you need to go." The bus driver said, and the trio gathered their bags then walked out of the bus after the driver. "Right this way."

The man ushered the three to follow him, which they did. After walking, they got to where their plane stood to wait. It was very large and could carry everyone in their town on it. The color scheme was dark blue with a red stripe going along its side. And the wings of the plane were so long they shaded a good part of the ground at its sides.

"Wow..." Nozomi lets out in awe.

"They will take off soon, so you'd better get seats while the getting good seats." The man said. David nodded in understanding and then shook the driver's hand in appreciation.

"Thanks for getting us here Mr.…?" David trailed off, hoping the man would drop his name, and he did.

"Gouda, son. They call me Gouda. Now, you'd best get along or you will miss your flight." The man, Gouda, said, shooing the group off. Without a moment to spare, they all ran to the plane and Gouda then left to get on the bus and drove away.

David went on board first, followed by John then Nozomi. The inside of the plane was even larger than the outside. It looked like it could carry two town's worth of people. However, since the plane would fly in a moment, they couldn't keep standing there. The sitting arrangements caused a little problem, the plane seats were made and arranged and made in pairs. The three friends wouldn't be able to sit together.

"Looks like you'll be sitting alone, David," John said with a frown.

"It's all right, guys. We'll at least be a few feet apart." David said with a smile. And so he took the pair of seats next to where Nozomi and John took their place. Then just as he had gotten comfortable and the plane doors were about to close, a voice shouted out.

"Wait!" Exclaimed a feminine voice. And her shout came just in time before the pilot closed the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss. I didn't see you there." The man apologized as he helped the young lady inside.

That was when David got a clear view of the sudden passenger for the first time. She was wearing a sleeveless green shirt with a pair of bellbottom jeans. Her hair were as red as fire and her eyes were the most wondrous shade of blue he had ever seen. Strapped to her shoulder appeared to be a sheath, the type that would hold a sword—and sure enough, a hilt stuck out from behind her head. When the mystery girl walked down the aisle, David became nervous as his hands became all sweaty from the thoughts that she would sit beside him. As she got closer to where he was seated, his nervousness transformed into outright panic.

"Can I sit here?" She asked him, piercing him with those blue eyes.

"Um, s-sure. " David stammered, trying—and failing—to keep his cool. In the seat adjacent, he saw his friends snickering. The traitors, he muttered below his breathe.

"Thanks." The red haired said as she put her sword in the overhead storage compartment before taking her seat. There was a thick silence between them before David gathered enough courage to speak.

"So... you a sword person?" David asked.

"A sword lady. " She corrected him.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know." David could feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment. Smooth, Blair. Smooth as sandpaper.

"It's okay, swordsmanship is not well known as it used to be." The young lady said.

That was true enough. David thought swordsmanship had suffered a great deal because of a lack of interest. There are not even knives in weapons shops anymore you have to buy them at foreign antique showrooms now, and sometimes, pawn shops.

"And you want to learn to be a mecha pilot, I take it? That is why you're on the plane?" She asked and looked at him this time.

"Yes, I do," David said with more conviction than his previous sentences had. At this, she shrugged.

"Well, I want to bring swordsmanship to the world of mecha." The mystery lady replied.

"A giant robot with a sword? That will be something to see. I hope you can make it happen." David said with a small giggle.

"Thanks for the encouragement." Replied the mystery lady said with a small grin.

And with the ice now broken, the two of them engaged a conversation that lasted for the most part of the six-hour trip from the airport to the Mecha Academy. In that time, David learned a few things about this girl. She was an Irish-American, who lived with her mother in the United States. Her father was in the Irish military's mecha division, and she did not see him very much but for a few days a year plus vacations she got to spend some time with him when she could. It was from her father she heard the many stories that had influenced her to go down the road she was now taking. For another thing, her personality differed from what David had expected. While his old man had told him that redheads always had a short temper, this girl was nothing like that. She had pride, yes, but she was not arrogant and she had an underlying kindness to her, she was in fact, graceful. It was the personality that many guys are attracted to. And just like every guy, David soon realized that he was no different, he was attracted to her. The young man also told her about himself and all the experiences he has had. The pair shared many laughs together before the ride lulled David to sleep.

After several hours of sleeping through the rest of the trip, David felt someone shaking him lightly.

"Hey, sleepy head. Wake up. We are about to land." David stirred, his eyes opening to see it was the redhead who was waking him up.

"A nice sight to wake up to." David thought with a small smile.

"Hey, David! Come out and look at this!" Called John in excitement, and David and his new friend got up to go where Nozomi and John were standing peered out through the window into the beautiful blue clouds that covered the skyline of the Tresser Time Island.

They all stood there and said aww in amazement, with excitement lit in their eyes as the airplane hovered around the island exposing the beautiful landscape in which they will spend most of their time training. The island was rather large than they thought it would be—it even had its own port city—and they could also see the Academy dominating the one side of it. It was a massive place, David realized as he looked out over the grounds. The main school and dorms were in the center and the other Academy buildings radiated out from there.

It was then that the pilot spoke over the intercom.

"We have arrived at our destination, so please fasten your seatbealts" the loudspeakers buzzed away, making the teens return to their sits in safety.

After landing, all the teens could do was wait for someone from the Academy to pick them up. Not too long, their wish was answered as a black van zoomed towards them.

"Now that's what I call timing," David said, picking up his duffle bag.

"I'll say." Nozomi chimed in as the van parked in front. Soon after, an older gentleman of around 65 years old stepped out. He was dressed in a fine suit. He took a moment to look at the four teens and then spoke.

"Welcome to Tresser Time Island Mecha Academy. My name is Daniel Hanley. I am the Academy Headmaster. your instructor would meet you but the Academy is undergoing renovations in most of the training facilities and that will keep them busy for at least two weeks. So you four will read part one of your lessons until they are done." Daniel explained to the squad.

"Where will we be staying, sir?" John asked.

"That's where we'll be going to, young man. I'm sure you all have lingering jet-lag. So if you'll get into the car we'll be on our way." Daniel said, gesturing with his left hand towards the large van and his right behind him.

They boarded the van, and it made its way to the Academy, the road led taking them through some thick forest paths. As they pulled up in front of the main building, David felt his mouth gaping. It was an amazing sight to take in. The front lawn had patches of colorful flowers and a large fountain. This was not what they had expected to see as they got out of the van.

"Welcome the place where you will spend the next four years of your lives. Now, let's get you four settled in." Daniel said and led the group to another building just a walk away.

The dorms were bigger than they had thought, too. It was about the size of a luxury hotel or a small casino or more, it was magnificent. The whole place divided into three sections: one side for the boys, the other for the girls, and the center was a large communal living area. Once the group entered the building Daniel left to let them take it all in first since it was a lot to take in.

"Well, this is nice. Headmaster Hadley wasn't kidding when he said it would have all the necessities." David said, dropping his duffle bag on the floor.

"Here I thought they would put us in tents." Nozomi joked.

"Don't give them any ideas," David said with a chuckle. The redhead who was a part of their group sat down on one of the chairs and put her sword down next to her.

"I hear the Tresser Time Academy treats its students well, so I don't think there will be any problems." She said in a knowing manner. David nodded, glad to get the reassurance, then realized something.

"Hey, we didn't catch your name," David said. The redhead looked him in the eye before replying.

"My name is Sayuri Kazuko. What's yours?" Sayuri asked in a way that made David's heart feels like it skipped a beat. But he could regain enough composure to reply.

"David Blair." The young man replied. Sayuri got up from her chair and held out her hand.

"I will be happy to learn with you and the others here." The redhead said with a kind smile, and David took her hand and shook it.

"Same here. I would like you to meet my friends." David said and gestured to his buddies.

John and Nozomi came forward and introduced themselves. After the introductions, Nozomi looked up and noticed the time on the clock. It had gotten much later than they thought it was.

"It's getting late, so we should head off to bed." The cat girl said and the other three nodded in agreement as the girls go off to their side of the dorms

"I agree. We all need our beauty sleep." John said and took a pose.

"Some, more than others," David said with a grin making John puff his cheeks while the girls giggled. "Anyway, goodnight Nozomi, and rest well, Sayuri."

"You too, David, pleasant dreams." Sayuri said and gave a wink to David then walked away with Nozomi to the girl's side of the dorms.

"Looks like you two clicked," John said with a grin on David.

"Whatever, just talked; nothing more. Now, can we please to bed?" David said, not paying mind to the smug grin of his friend. As they both retired to the boys' dorm, John soon slept off as he was dead beat from the travels and catch up. David however, on his side of the bed, could hardly sleep. All he could think of was Sayuri and how graceful her poise was. Moments later after daydreaming of his new friend, he slept off with a smile on his face.

The days seemed to fly by fast and two days went by. The friends saw how things were run and they soon got used to the way things were in the academy and got to the swing of things Every day, they would be in classroom 214, studying their textbooks with vigor. And at the free moments, they had between studying, they spent them getting to know their fellow students at the Academy Cafeteria. During their stay, David and the others learned that this eating room could hold well over 500 students. They met there each day for lunch, but today something interrupted them. There was some commotion near the cafeteria door and David glanced over to see a girl being pushed down to the ground by a rather mean-looking student who appeared to be older than they were.

"Who are those two?" David asks one of the other students.

"That is Wilson Bentley. He is an upperclassman, and the girl is Christine Navarro. She's new, like you." One student explained.

David gritted his teeth. He would not let this Wilson person push a girl down, so he got up from his seat and walked over before another student stopped him.

"Just leave it. Wilson is the top dog around here and does what he wants." The student said, however, David turned to the student with a determined look on his face.

"I think this dog needs a kick in the chops." With that said, David continued to walk to the front door.

"That's David for you," Nozomi said, recalling when she'd first met David.

They were just six years old, and she was being bullied because of her ears and tail. Then David came to her rescue and chased them off. Since then, he had encouraged her to stand up for herself.

"Now he was about stand up for someone else and show this Wilson a thing or two" said Nozomi with confidence in her friend. The Christine girl was on the ground whimpering as Wilson closed in on her, and that is when David stepped in between them. Wilson looked up at this new obstacle keeping him from his latest victim, this new rookie who seemed to think he could stand up to the best pilot in the Academy.

"Stand aside, rookie… NOW!" Wilson's voice was as cold as ice and so was his face and eyes. His eyes, not only were they cold, they looked like "nothing," like nothing could stop him.

"No, I will not," David stated standing his ground. There was no telling what this person would do to Christine if he backed off. The rest of the cafeteria was dead silent as the two stared each other down, like a lion and a bear ready to battle.

"I will tell you one more time: stand aside," Wilson ordered but David just shook his head in defiance.

"If you want to get to her, get through me." The raven-haired teen stated.

Wilson and David were eyes to eye at this point. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Wilson's eyes were shooting daggers at David's fiery, determined ones with his resolve strong, still standing his ground. No one had ever dared to stand up to him before now. Yet here this punk rookie was stopping him from doing what he pleased.

"You do not understand who you're messing with." Said the upperclassman.

"I guess I'll find out eventually," David replied, crossing his arms, and daring the person before him to make a move.

Wilson was now getting frustrated., and just the threat of him doing something would make people back off. But David was different and wasn't going to be scared off so easily. This left him with no other choice but to withdraw. It would only be for now, though, as he would get back at David some other time. The onlookers couldn't believe their eyes as Wilson walked out the door. For someone to stand up to Wilson was one thing. But for him to walk away was unheard of and unseen. With Wilson gone, David turned his attention to the blue-haired Christine.

"Are you all right?" David asked, reaching his hand down to help pull her up.

"I am fine… thank you." Thanked Christine in a soft and meek voice.

"Is there any reason that Wilson guy was trying to hurt you?" David asked again. The blue-haired female hesitated to say anything for a while, but since David had saved her she felt indebted to tell him.

"I am telepathic, I can hear people's thoughts," Christine said. The reply surprised David. He never met a telepath before. Life was full of interesting people.

"Nice to meet you. My name is David Blair. What is yours?" The young man asked.

Now it was Christine's turn to be surprised. She was always laughed at and mocked because she was telepathic. Even her own parents sent her here because they wanted nothing to do with her. Yet, here was this total stranger, not only standing up for her but talking to her. Everybody else would have left her to that jerk Wilson to be beaten on. So maybe… just maybe, he could be a friend. Her first friend.

"My name is Christine Leontine. Nice to meet you." She smiled, and for the first time in a long while, she could smile.

"Would you like to sit with me and my friends? I am sure they would like to meet you." David said, gesturing to the table.

After the telepath nodded David led her over to the table where the others were seated, and just like that, four friends became five. They later found out that Christine Leontine was now a part of class 214. So now they would have their new freind to join in their studies.


	2. chapter 2

The next few days flew by fast until Friday came along. Since it was a snowy day, students were excused from school, but that didn't mean they were excused from waking up. With the new day came the warm sun rising over the city. The many rays of light of the glowing planet peered into dozens of windows to wake up people. David's window amongst other residents of the city was woken up by the gentle touch of the morning sun hovering over the city. With the gentle prods of the sunlight, after he struggled with the sheets, David woke up with a large yawn. Looking at his clock he saw he woke up earlier than usual at 6:45 A.M. He supposed that he slept early so that he could wake up early. But now, it was time to get up and enjoy the day. After taking a quick shower, David dressed up and headed downstairs. Before he even got to the bottom stairs, he saw Steven there, holding a green envelope in his hands.

"Look what came in the mail for you today," Steven said in a sing-song happy voice. And when David walked further down the stairs and when he saw who the envelope was from, he and gasped for breath. He could not believe what he was seeing.

"You mean...?" David trailed off in shock. Rather than answer, Steven held out the envelope to him with a big old smile.

"See for yourself." The man said.

David took the envelope, opened it up and whisked the letter out of its comfort in the envelope. He opens the letter with his hands trembling from anxiety of what the content read. He opens it and it read thus:

"Dear Mr. Blair,

We are proud to inform you are accepted into the Drift Mecha Academy on Tresser Time Island. A plane will pick you up the day after tomorrow, so prepare yourself for an adventure of a lifetime. We hope that our training will not only make you a good pilot but also give you a sense of belonging. Our facilities have the latest technology, so you will get to study on as well during your training.

Yours sincerely,

From the Mecha Academy Board"

Once he got to the end of the letter shock rippled throughout David's body. It wasn't a bad shock by any means. It was a shock of elation and relief. The elation that he was accepted and relief it wasn't a rejection paper. David was so overwhelmed by the rush of emotions that he fell backward into a chair with a stunned expression adorning his face.

"Here, have some tea," Steven said as he handed his adopted son a cup of the warm chocolate mixed with the pink lemonade he always likes, smiling at him.

"T-Thanks..." he said, stuttering as he smiled all through, gulping away its contents.

"So, you've been accepted," Steven said in affirmation.

"Y-Yes! I c-can't believe it! God, this almost feels like a dream." David said, pacing about.

"Well, it's not a dream, son. This is happening." Steven said with a smile.

"Oh God, dad, I could do cartwheels around the house!" David exclaimed.

"I'm sure you could... just don't do it while you're holding my favorite ceramic cup," Steven said with smiles as he took the teacup out of David's hands.

"Oh, hey. Sorry..." David said smiling, blushing pink.

The day seemed to go by so fast that, before David knew it, it was already night time and he was already eating dinner with Steven. After heading up to his room, David was still in a state of shock from the euphoria he felt from seeing the words, "you have been accepted…" as he bounced tired on his bed. Ten minutes later he got excited phone calls from John and Nozomi to tell him they had also been accepted. As the morning sun rose two days later, David's eyes opened with excitement.

"Today is the day." He thought to himself as he jumped out of bed and got ready.

"Hey Dave, better hurry!" Steven called up from below. "The bus should be here in the next half an hour."

"All right, I'll be right down." After packing a small duffle bag, David made his way down the stairs as fast as he could with Steven whistling at the door.

"Not bad. You've got twelve minutes to spare and your buddies are waiting outside." Steven said.

"John and Nozomi?" The raven head asked.

"Yep," Steven replied, then smiled as he patted David on the shoulder. "Good luck, son."

David smiled and nodded to dad, then stepped out the door to meet his two friends who were also ready to go.

"Good to see you made it." Said John, grinning wide.

"You should have set your clock a little earlier." Nozomi teased.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that. I guess the excitement took more out of me than I thought it would, and almost made me sleep in." David said.

"Well, it's a good thing you got up when you did because here comes our ride to a new future," John said and pointed down the road. David and Nozomi turned to look and saw the bus come around the corner. With a slow intake of breath followed by a long sigh, David put his duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Looks like our ride is here." He said with an anxious tone.

"All aboard!" Called the bus driver as the doors opened. The three youths stepped onto the bus, and from the front porch Steven called out to them.

"Keep safe now, you hear?" Shouted Steve from the house.

David turned and gave a reassuring nod and a slow wave to his father before he piled in along with his buddies. With that, the bus drove off. However, once he got a good look inside along with Nozomi and John, he realized something odd. The bus was empty; it was only the three of them. Why would a bus that can carry fifteen to thirty-five people be empty?

"Don't worry." The bus driver said as if reading David's mind when he caught his questioning look in the rear-view mirror. "The plane will have more people on it." David's head perked up at this.

"We're getting on a plane?" He asked, and the driver smirked.

"Didn't think I would drive across the sea, did ya?" He guffawed as if it were the funniest joke in the world. But John laughed, being the corny guy, he was, while Nozomi rolled her eyes. So, the group took their seats and about three hours later they got to the airport.

"Awesome, we made it!" John exclaimed in excitement. It wasn't so unusual, however, since this was the first time any of them have been in a big airport like this or any at all. And it showed both from John's words and the wide eyes of wonder from Nozomi and David.

"All right, everybody off and I will take you where you need to go." The bus driver said, and the trio gathered their bags then walked out of the bus after the driver. "Right this way."

The man ushered the three to follow him, which they did. After walking, they got to where their plane stood to wait. It was very large and could carry everyone in their town on it. The color scheme was dark blue with a red stripe going along its side. And the wings of the plane were so long they shaded a good part of the ground at its sides.

"Wow..." Nozomi lets out in awe.

"They will take off soon, so you'd better get seats while the getting good seats." The man said. David nodded in understanding and then shook the driver's hand in appreciation.

"Thanks for getting us here Mr.…?" David trailed off, hoping the man would drop his name, and he did.

"Gouda, son. They call me Gouda. Now, you'd best get along or you will miss your flight." The man, Gouda, said, shooing the group off. Without a moment to spare, they all ran to the plane and Gouda then left to get on the bus and drove away.

David went on board first, followed by John then Nozomi. The inside of the plane was even larger than the outside. It looked like it could carry two town's worth of people. However, since the plane would fly in a moment, they couldn't keep standing there. The sitting arrangements caused a little problem, the plane seats were made and arranged and made in pairs. The three friends wouldn't be able to sit together.

"Looks like you'll be sitting alone, David," John said with a frown.

"It's all right, guys. We'll at least be a few feet apart." David said with a smile. And so he took the pair of seats next to where Nozomi and John took their place. Then just as he had gotten comfortable and the plane doors were about to close, a voice shouted out.

"Wait!" Exclaimed a feminine voice. And her shout came just in time before the pilot closed the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss. I didn't see you there." The man apologized as he helped the young lady inside.

That was when David got a clear view of the sudden passenger for the first time. She was wearing a sleeveless green shirt with a pair of bellbottom jeans. Her hair were as red as fire and her eyes were the most wondrous shade of blue he had ever seen. Strapped to her shoulder appeared to be a sheath, the type that would hold a sword—and sure enough, a hilt stuck out from behind her head. When the mystery girl walked down the aisle, David became nervous as his hands became all sweaty from the thoughts that she would sit beside him. As she got closer to where he was seated, his nervousness transformed into outright panic.

"Can I sit here?" She asked him, piercing him with those blue eyes.

"Um, s-sure. " David stammered, trying—and failing—to keep his cool. In the seat adjacent, he saw his friends snickering. The traitors, he muttered below his breathe.

"Thanks." The red haired said as she put her sword in the overhead storage compartment before taking her seat. There was a thick silence between them before David gathered enough courage to speak.

"So... you a sword person?" David asked.

"A sword lady. " She corrected him.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know." David could feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment. Smooth, Blair. Smooth as sandpaper.

"It's okay, swordsmanship is not well known as it used to be." The young lady said.

That was true enough. David thought swordsmanship had suffered a great deal because of a lack of interest. There are not even knives in weapons shops anymore you have to buy them at foreign antique showrooms now, and sometimes, pawn shops.

"And you want to learn to be a mecha pilot, I take it? That is why you're on the plane?" She asked and looked at him this time.

"Yes, I do," David said with more conviction than his previous sentences had. At this, she shrugged.

"Well, I want to bring swordsmanship to the world of mecha." The mystery lady replied.

"A giant robot with a sword? That will be something to see. I hope you can make it happen." David said with a small giggle.

"Thanks for the encouragement." Replied the mystery lady said with a small grin.

And with the ice now broken, the two of them engaged a conversation that lasted for the most part of the six-hour trip from the airport to the Mecha Academy. In that time, David learned a few things about this girl. She was an Irish-American, who lived with her mother in the United States. Her father was in the Irish military's mecha division, and she did not see him very much but for a few days a year plus vacations she got to spend some time with him when she could. It was from her father she heard the many stories that had influenced her to go down the road she was now taking. For another thing, her personality differed from what David had expected. While his old man had told him that redheads always had a short temper, this girl was nothing like that. She had pride, yes, but she was not arrogant and she had an underlying kindness to her, she was in fact, graceful. It was the personality that many guys are attracted to. And just like every guy, David soon realized that he was no different, he was attracted to her. The young man also told her about himself and all the experiences he has had. The pair shared many laughs together before the ride lulled David to sleep.

After several hours of sleeping through the rest of the trip, David felt someone shaking him lightly.

"Hey, sleepy head. Wake up. We are about to land." David stirred, his eyes opening to see it was the redhead who was waking him up.

"A nice sight to wake up to." David thought with a small smile.

"Hey, David! Come out and look at this!" Called John in excitement, and David and his new friend got up to go where Nozomi and John were standing peered out through the window into the beautiful blue clouds that covered the skyline of the Tresser Time Island.

They all stood there and said aww in amazement, with excitement lit in their eyes as the airplane hovered around the island exposing the beautiful landscape in which they will spend most of their time training. The island was rather large than they thought it would be—it even had its own port city—and they could also see the Academy dominating the one side of it. It was a massive place, David realized as he looked out over the grounds. The main school and dorms were in the center and the other Academy buildings radiated out from there.

It was then that the pilot spoke over the intercom.

"We have arrived at our destination, so please fasten your seatbealts" the loudspeakers buzzed away, making the teens return to their sits in safety.

After landing, all the teens could do was wait for someone from the Academy to pick them up. Not too long, their wish was answered as a black van zoomed towards them.

"Now that's what I call timing," David said, picking up his duffle bag.

"I'll say." Nozomi chimed in as the van parked in front. Soon after, an older gentleman of around 65 years old stepped out. He was dressed in a fine suit. He took a moment to look at the four teens and then spoke.

"Welcome to Tresser Time Island Mecha Academy. My name is Daniel Hanley. I am the Academy Headmaster. your instructor would meet you but the Academy is undergoing renovations in most of the training facilities and that will keep them busy for at least two weeks. So you four will read part one of your lessons until they are done." Daniel explained to the squad.

"Where will we be staying, sir?" John asked.

"That's where we'll be going to, young man. I'm sure you all have lingering jet-lag. So if you'll get into the car we'll be on our way." Daniel said, gesturing with his left hand towards the large van and his right behind him.

They boarded the van, and it made its way to the Academy, the road led taking them through some thick forest paths. As they pulled up in front of the main building, David felt his mouth gaping. It was an amazing sight to take in. The front lawn had patches of colorful flowers and a large fountain. This was not what they had expected to see as they got out of the van.

"Welcome the place where you will spend the next four years of your lives. Now, let's get you four settled in." Daniel said and led the group to another building just a walk away.

The dorms were bigger than they had thought, too. It was about the size of a luxury hotel or a small casino or more, it was magnificent. The whole place divided into three sections: one side for the boys, the other for the girls, and the center was a large communal living area. Once the group entered the building Daniel left to let them take it all in first since it was a lot to take in.

"Well, this is nice. Headmaster Hadley wasn't kidding when he said it would have all the necessities." David said, dropping his duffle bag on the floor.

"Here I thought they would put us in tents." Nozomi joked.

"Don't give them any ideas," David said with a chuckle. The redhead who was a part of their group sat down on one of the chairs and put her sword down next to her.

"I hear the Tresser Time Academy treats its students well, so I don't think there will be any problems." She said in a knowing manner. David nodded, glad to get the reassurance, then realized something.

"Hey, we didn't catch your name," David said. The redhead looked him in the eye before replying.

"My name is Sayuri Kazuko. What's yours?" Sayuri asked in a way that made David's heart feels like it skipped a beat. But he could regain enough composure to reply.

"David Blair." The young man replied. Sayuri got up from her chair and held out her hand.

"I will be happy to learn with you and the others here." The redhead said with a kind smile, and David took her hand and shook it.

"Same here. I would like you to meet my friends." David said and gestured to his buddies.

John and Nozomi came forward and introduced themselves. After the introductions, Nozomi looked up and noticed the time on the clock. It had gotten much later than they thought it was.

"It's getting late, so we should head off to bed." The cat girl said and the other three nodded in agreement as the girls go off to their side of the dorms

"I agree. We all need our beauty sleep." John said and took a pose.

"Some, more than others," David said with a grin making John puff his cheeks while the girls giggled. "Anyway, goodnight Nozomi, and rest well, Sayuri."

"You too, David, pleasant dreams." Sayuri said and gave a wink to David then walked away with Nozomi to the girl's side of the dorms.

"Looks like you two clicked," John said with a grin on David.

"Whatever, just talked; nothing more. Now, can we please to bed?" David said, not paying mind to the smug grin of his friend. As they both retired to the boys' dorm, John soon slept off as he was dead beat from the travels and catch up. David however, on his side of the bed, could hardly sleep. All he could think of was Sayuri and how graceful her poise was. Moments later after daydreaming of his new friend, he slept off with a smile on his face.

The days seemed to fly by fast and two days went by. The friends saw how things were run and they soon got used to the way things were in the academy and got to the swing of things Every day, they would be in classroom 214, studying their textbooks with vigor. And at the free moments, they had between studying, they spent them getting to know their fellow students at the Academy Cafeteria. During their stay, David and the others learned that this eating room could hold well over 500 students. They met there each day for lunch, but today something interrupted them. There was some commotion near the cafeteria door and David glanced over to see a girl being pushed down to the ground by a rather mean-looking student who appeared to be older than they were.

"Who are those two?" David asks one of the other students.

"That is Wilson Bentley. He is an upperclassman, and the girl is Christine Navarro. She's new, like you." One student explained.

David gritted his teeth. He would not let this Wilson person push a girl down, so he got up from his seat and walked over before another student stopped him.

"Just leave it. Wilson is the top dog around here and does what he wants." The student said, however, David turned to the student with a determined look on his face.

"I think this dog needs a kick in the chops." With that said, David continued to walk to the front door.

"That's David for you," Nozomi said, recalling when she'd first met David.

They were just six years old, and she was being bullied because of her ears and tail. Then David came to her rescue and chased them off. Since then, he had encouraged her to stand up for herself.

"Now he was about stand up for someone else and show this Wilson a thing or two" said Nozomi with confidence in her friend. The Christine girl was on the ground whimpering as Wilson closed in on her, and that is when David stepped in between them. Wilson looked up at this new obstacle keeping him from his latest victim, this new rookie who seemed to think he could stand up to the best pilot in the Academy.

"Stand aside, rookie… NOW!" Wilson's voice was as cold as ice and so was his face and eyes. His eyes, not only were they cold, they looked like "nothing," like nothing could stop him.

"No, I will not," David stated standing his ground. There was no telling what this person would do to Christine if he backed off. The rest of the cafeteria was dead silent as the two stared each other down, like a lion and a bear ready to battle.

"I will tell you one more time: stand aside," Wilson ordered but David just shook his head in defiance.

"If you want to get to her, get through me." The raven-haired teen stated.

Wilson and David were eyes to eye at this point. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Wilson's eyes were shooting daggers at David's fiery, determined ones with his resolve strong, still standing his ground. No one had ever dared to stand up to him before now. Yet here this punk rookie was stopping him from doing what he pleased.

"You do not understand who you're messing with." Said the upperclassman.

"I guess I'll find out eventually," David replied, crossing his arms, and daring the person before him to make a move.

Wilson was now getting frustrated., and just the threat of him doing something would make people back off. But David was different and wasn't going to be scared off so easily. This left him with no other choice but to withdraw. It would only be for now, though, as he would get back at David some other time. The onlookers couldn't believe their eyes as Wilson walked out the door. For someone to stand up to Wilson was one thing. But for him to walk away was unheard of and unseen. With Wilson gone, David turned his attention to the blue-haired Christine.

"Are you all right?" David asked, reaching his hand down to help pull her up.

"I am fine… thank you." Thanked Christine in a soft and meek voice.

"Is there any reason that Wilson guy was trying to hurt you?" David asked again. The blue-haired female hesitated to say anything for a while, but since David had saved her she felt indebted to tell him.

"I am telepathic, I can hear people's thoughts," Christine said. The reply surprised David. He never met a telepath before. Life was full of interesting people.

"Nice to meet you. My name is David Blair. What is yours?" The young man asked.

Now it was Christine's turn to be surprised. She was always laughed at and mocked because she was telepathic. Even her own parents sent her here because they wanted nothing to do with her. Yet, here was this total stranger, not only standing up for her but talking to her. Everybody else would have left her to that jerk Wilson to be beaten on. So maybe… just maybe, he could be a friend. Her first friend.

"My name is Christine Leontine. Nice to meet you." She smiled, and for the first time in a long while, she could smile.

"Would you like to sit with me and my friends? I am sure they would like to meet you." David said, gesturing to the table.

After the telepath nodded David led her over to the table where the others were seated, and just like that, four friends became five. They later found out that Christine Leontine was now a part of class 214. So now they would have their new freind to join in their studies.


End file.
